Ironing apparatus



Feb. 15, 1966 E. E. FOSTER IRONING APPARATUS Filed July 27, 1964 5; 4f 48 O 4Z 38 INVENTOR. EDWIN E. FOSTER United States Patent O 3,234,672 IRONING APPARATUS Edwin E. Foster, Austin, Tex., assignor to Majik-Ironers, Inc., Austin, Tex., a corporation of Texas Filed .Iuly 27, 1964, Ser. No. 385,439 11 Claims. (Cl. 38-30) This invention relates to ironing apparatus, and more particularly to an iron lifting mechanism and to the cornbination therewith of an ironing board.

It is one of the objects of the invention to provide a light weight compact iron lifting mechanism in combination with a folding ironing table or board, which can be stored as a complete unit requiring no more space than a standard ironing board and separate iron.

Another object is to provide ironing apparatus defining. a complete ironing unit which is easy to fold and store, and which can easily be set up for an ironing operation.

Still another `object is to provide ironing apparatus in which iron lifting mechanism is energized by water under pressure. The same water under pressure can supply water for a steam ironing operation and also for a spraying operation.

According to a feature of the invention, the water reservoir normally employed in steam or steam and spray irons is removed from the iron itself, and the space normally occupied thereby is filled with heat insulating material to insulate the iron handle more effectively. Also by removing the water reservoir from the iron, the weight of the iron is constant and does not change as water is used.

According to another feature of the invention, a water reservoir of substantial size larger than the reservoir provided in conventional steam irons may be located on the ironing table, preferably beneath the rear end of the ironing table on the corner nearest the operator to assist in achieving proper weight distribution. Preferably, water from the reservoir is supplied to the iron under pressure by a continuously running electric motor which may be mounted in or adjacent to the reservoir.

Alternatively, the iron lifting mechanism and the water supply for steam or spray operations may be provided by water under pressure from a conventional tap. With this type of construction the iron and the `supporting and lifting mechanism may be removeable from the ironing board for separate storage.

The above and other objects and features of the invention will be more readily apparent from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which FIGURE l is a perspective view of ironing apparatus embodying the invention in erected condition.

FIGURES 2 and 3 are respectively side and face views of the ironing apparatus in stored condition.

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged view of the iron and lifting mechanism with parts broken away and in section.

FIGURE 5 is a partial sectional view of the iron supporting linkage mounting socket.

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged view of the ir-on control valve and FIGURE 7 is a section through the valve of FIGURE 6.

The complete apparatus as illustrated in FIGURES 1, 2 and 3 comprises an ironing board 10 which may be of any conventional construction, and which is adapted to be supported on cross legs 11. Legs 11 carry transverse foot members 12 at their lower ends to support the board in a stable manner on a oor or similar surface. The legs are preferably pivotally connected to the board so that they can be moved from the erected position shown in FIGURE l to a folded position closely adjacent to the under surface of the board for storage as shown in FIG- URES 2 and 3.

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The board has secured to the rear end thereof an elongated supporting bracket or rod 13 which extends parallel to and spaced from one side of the board to terminate in a socket 14 centrally of the length of the board. As best seen in FIGURE 5, the socket 14 is connected to the bracket 13 through a rotatable joint formed by a stub shaft 15 `secured to the socket and extending rotatably into the bracket 13 which may be tubular. Preferably a latch indicated generally at 16 is provided to hold the shaft 15 in an operating position as shown in FIGURE 5 or in a storage position at 90 to the operating position.

The socket 14 supports an iron supporting linkage cornprising a main arm 17 and a forearm 18 pivotally connected thereto on a horizontal axis. This linkage is constructed as more particularly disclosed and claimed in my `Patent No. 2,648,146 so that the free end of the forearm will -be constrained to move in a plane parallel to the surface of the ironing board 10 when the apparatus is in its operating condition. The base arm 17 as seen in FIGURE 5 is pivoted to the upper end of a stub shaft 19 which is in turn rotatable in the socket 14. With this construction it will be apparent that the free end of the forearm can be moved to any desired position over any part of the ironing board.

An iron indicated generally at 20 is supported from the free end of the forearm 18 for vertical movement from a raised position spaced above the ironing board to a lowered ironing position and which it rests on material on the ironing board. As shown, the iron is formed at its forward end with an upwardly extending tubular bracket 21 to the upper end of which a lifting lever 22 is pivoted on a pivot 23. The free end of the lever 22 carries a yball 24 which ts slidably and rotatably in a lspherical socket at the free end of the forearm, so that the iron can be swung to any desired angle relative to the forearm.

The lifting lever 22 is normally urged to a raised position about the pivot 24 in which it will raise the iron above the ironing board, -by a spring 25 which may conveniently be mounted in the tubular bracket 21. To move the lever downwardly about the pivot 24 thereby to lower the iron on the ironing board, a push rod 26 extends through the spring 25 and is pivoted to the lever 22 conveniently -on the same axis as the spring. The lower end of the push rod 26 is connected to an arm 27 pivoted in the iron handle, and which is in turn connected to a second push rod 28 extending through the iron handle, which is tubular, to an operating lever 29. The operating lever 29 is pivoted in the iron handle on a fixed pivot 31 and is pivotally connected intermediate its ends to a pressure responsive device shown as an extensible bellows 32. With this construction when the bellows is subjected to pressure and extended thereby, it will exert a pushing force on the rods 28 and 26 and will swing the arm 22 about the pivot 24 downwardly thereby lowering the iron onto the ironing board and cancelling entirely the effect of the spring 25.

According to the present invention the bellows 32 is adapted to be operated by water under pressure. For this purpose a lwater storage tank 33 is mounted beneath the ironing -board at the rear end thereof. A pump, such as a small gear pump, driven by an electric motor 34 takes water from the tank and forces it out through a supply conduit 35. The supply conduit may extend ythrough the tubular bracket 13 `and may tbe connected through fiexible sections to extensions through the supporting arms 17 and 18 to lead to the iron as shown. A return conduit 36 parallels the supply conduit 35 to return Water from the iron to the tank.

As best seen in FIGURE 4 the supply conduit 35 leads directly to the bellows 32 and leads therefrom through sole plate of the iron t-o supply Water thereto for conversion lto steam, and is provided with Ia seco-nd valve 43 having a manual operating lever 44 extending into the opening of the iron handle so that the supply of water for steam operation can be manually controlled.

The valve 38 as shown in FIGURES 6 and 7 is a double valve having a central xed core portion 45 with a transverse bore therethrough communicating with the conduit 37. A rotatable cap 46 at one end of the valve is formed with an angular lpassage 47 communicating with one end of the ktransverse bore in the core 45 and selectively registerable with passages in Ithe core leading to thereturn lconduit y36 or to the steam supply conduit 39. In one angular position or the cap 46 as shown in FIGURE 7, Ithe passage 47 communicates with the return conduit 36 while in another angular position of the cap, an opposite extension of the passage y47 will communicate with the conduit 39. The cap 46 is turned through an extension arm 48 rigid therewith, and which is connected through a link 49 to a valve actuating -lever S1 pivot'ed to and overlying the iron handle. A spring 52 normally urges the lever 511 upwardly so that the valve 'Will occupy the position shown in FIGURES 6 and' 7, wherein it connects :the conduit 37 to the return conduit 36. When the lever 51 is depressed as by an operator grasping the iron handle, .the cap 46 will be burned counterclockwi-se as seen in FIGURES 4 and 6 to move the passage 47 out of registration with the return conduit 36 and into registration With Ithe conduit 39. Ilf the valve 44 is open at this time, Water will ow from the valve through the .conduit 39 into the sole plate of the iron to be converted into steam for steam ironing in the usual manner.

' The valve is completed by a `second cap 51 rotatably mounted on the opposite end of the valve core 45 and which is'provided with a pass-age 52 communicating with the opposite endl of the transverse bore in .the valve core. The cap 5:1 is adapted to be turned by a lever extension 53 which projects upwardly through the iron handle and terminates at the forward end of the iron handle in convenient position to be moved forwardly by the thumb of the user. -A spring 54 normally holds the lever 53 in ythe position .shown wherein the passage v52 is out of registration with the conduit 41. When the lever 5-3 is pressed forward it will .turn .the cap 5l1 [to a position bringing the passage 52 into registration With the conduit 41 so that water will be supplied to the spray nozzle 42.

For use, the iron apparatus is set up as shown in FIG- URE l With legs 11 extended and with the socket 14 turned to a vertical position at right `angles to the ironing board to support the iron above vthe board. With water under pressure being supplied -to the conduit 35 and with the valve 38 in the position shown, the water will simply ow through the valve to the return conduit 36 without developing any appreciable pressure in :the bellows 3.2. When the lever 51 is depressed to close the return conduit 36 pressure will build up in the bellows and expand it thereby rocking the supporting :lever `22 downwardly about the pivot 24 and lowering the iron onto the ironing board. It will be noted that at this time the full Weight of the iron rests on the material on the ironing board so that ironing can be accomplished effectively. Also at this time a stearn ironing operation can be eifected by moving the control lever 44 to open the valve 43, and if desired the spray may be applied simply by pressing on the upper end of the lever 53.

At the completion of an ironing operation the latch 16 is released and the socket 14 is turned to a position parallel to the underside of the ironing board. The legs lll may then be folded against the underside of the ironing board and the supporting linkage 17 and 18 may be moved to the position indicated generally in FIGURES 2 and 3. At this time the board, the iron and lthe supporting mechanisrn are all arranged in a compact grouping whose. width is approximately equal to or only slightly greater than the thickness of a conventional ironing board in its stored condition. The entire apparatus may `therefore be stored in substantially the same space required ,for 'storing an ironing Iboard alone.

Alternatively, and preferably in the event the pump and tank are replaced by a connection `to a conventional IWater spigot, the iron supporting linkage and iron may be removed from the board by slipping `the shaft y19 from the socket `14, and by providing detachable couplings adjacent to lthe sockets inthe conduits 35 and 36. When this 1s done the board can be stored separately lfrom the iron supporting linkage and the iron, according to the preference of the user.

While one embodiment Iof the invention has been shown and described in detail, it will .be understood that this is illustrative only and is not to be taken yas a definition of the scope of the invention, reference being had for this purpose `t-o the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. Ironing apparatus comprising an elongated ironing board, an elongated supporting bracket secured at one end to the boa-rd adjacent to one end `thereof and extendlng adjacent and substantially parallel to one side of the board in spaced relationship thereto, a socket at the other end of the bracket mounted for rotation about an axis parallel to the length of Vthe bracket, iron supporting linkage :supported in the socket ttor rotation about yan axis perpendicular to the bracket, the linkage and socket b erng turnable from a Working position in which the linkage extends upwardly in a plane normal to the plane o f the ironing board to a stored position in which the linkage lies in a plane parallel and adjacent to the plane of the ironing board.

2. The ironing apparatus of claim y1 including latch means to latch the socket -to the bracket -in either the Working position or `the stored position.

3. The ironing apparatus of claim y1 including an iron, and means supporting the iron .from Ithe linkage for movement lfrom an elevated position :above the ironing board to a lowered position on the board when the socket and linkage are turned .to the working position, the iron lying closely adjacent to the linkage and -to said one side of .thelboard when the socket andV linkage are in the stored position.

4. Ironing apparatus comprising an elongated ironing board, an elongated supporting bracket secured at one end to the board adjacent to one end thereof and extending adjacent and substantially parallel to one side of the board, a socket at the other end of the bracket mounted for rotation about an axis parallel to the length of the bracket, iron supporting linkage supported in the socket for rotation about an yaxis perpendicular to the bracket, the linkage and socket being turnable from a working position in which the linkage extends upwardly in a plane normal to the plane of the ironing board to a stored position in which the linkage lies in a plane parallel and adjacent to the plane of the ironing board, an iron, a lever connected at one end to the iron and at its other end to the linkage, a spring urging the lever in a direction to raise the iron above the ironing board lwhen the socket and linkage are in their working position, a pressure responsive device in the iron connected to the lever to move it against the spring thereby to lower lthe Iiron relative to the linkage, a connection to supply operating iluid under pressure to said device extending along the linkage and bracket, a valve in the connection, and an operating member for the valve mounted on the iron.

5. The ironing apparatus of claim 4 including a Water tank on the board, and a pump receiving water from the tank and connected to said connection to supply water under pressure thereto.

6. Ironing apparatus for use with an ironing board comprising a support movable over the ironing board, an iron, means suspending the iron from the support for vertical movement from a position spaced above the board to a posit-ion resting on the board, a spring acting on said means normally to hold the iron in the rst named position, a uid pressure responsive device connected to said means to move it against the spring thereby to move the iron down onto the board, liquid supply and return conduits communicating with said dev-ice, a valve in one of the conduits, an operating lever for the valve mounted on the iron for movement by an operator, a conduit to supply liquid for steaming connected to the valve and connected by the valve to said one of the conduits when the valve is in a position to energize the pressure responsive device, a second valve in the last named conduit, a spray device, and a manually operable valve connecting the spray device to said one of the conduits.

7. Ironing apparatus for use with an ironing board comprising a support movable over the ironing board, an iron, means suspending the iron from the support for vertical movement from a position spaced above the board to a position resting on the board, a spring acting on said means normally to hold the iron in the iirst named position, a tiuid pressure responsive device connected to said means to move it aga-inst the spring thereby to move the iron down onto the board, liquid supply and return conduits communicating with said device, the iron having a hollow handle through which at least one of the conduits extends, a normally open valve in the return conduit, and an operating lever on the iron handle connected to the valve to close it when the handle is grasped, said valve when open relieving pressure on the pressure responsive device and permitting flow of liquid through the conduits to cool the iron handle.

`8. Ironing apparatus for use with an ironing board comprising a support movable over the ironing board, an iron, means suspending the iron from the support for vertical movement from a position spaced above the board to a position resting on the board, a spring acting on said means normally to hold the iron in the first named position, a uid pressure responsive device connected to said means to move it against the spring thereby to move the iron down onto the board, liquid supply and return conduits communicating with said device, the iron having a hollow handle through which at least one of the conduits extends, a normally open valve in the return conduit, an operating lever on the iron handle connected to the valve to close it when the handle is grasped, a conduit to supply liquid for steaming connected to the valve and connected by the valve and return conduit to the pressure responsive device, a second manually operable valve in the last named conduit, a spray device, and a manually operable valve connecting the spray device to the return conduit upstream from the iirst named valve.

9. The ironing apparatus of claim 8 in which .the 'irst named valve and last named valve are combined in a composite valve structure having two independently movable control parts.

10. Ironing apparatus comprising an elongated ironing board, an elongated supporting bracket secured at one end to the boa-rd adjacent to one end thereof and extending adjacent and substantially parallel to one side of the board, iron supporting linkage carried by the bracket for movement over the board, an iron having a hollow handle, means connecting the iron to the supporting linkage for vertical movement from a raised position above the board to a lowered position resting on the board, a spring acting on the connecting means normally to hold lthe iron in its raised position, a pressure responsive device in the iron connected to the connecting means to move it in a direction to lower the iron onto the board, a liquid tank mounted on the board adjacent to said one end thereof, a pump taking liquid from the tank, supply and return conduits connected to the pressure responsive device and extending therefrom along the linkage and bracket, the supply conduit communicating with the pump outlet and the return conduit communicating with the tank, a valve in the return conduit, and an operating lever for the valve mounted on the iron handle.

11. The ironing apparatus of claim 10 including a conduit to supply liquid for steaming connected to the valve and connected through the valve and return conduit to the pressure responsive device when the valve is in a position to close the return conduit, a second manually operable valve in the last named conduit, a spray device communicating with the return conduit upstream of the first named valve, and a third valve controlling flow to the spray device.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 869,857 10/1907 Lehr 38-31 994,466 6/ 1911 Ionesku 38-31 2,799,100 7/1957 Frick 38--30 2,954,619 10/1960 Foster 38-30 3,137,953 6/1964 Foster 38-30 JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner. 

1. IRONING APPARATUS COMPRISING AN ELONGATED IRONING BOARD, AN ELONGATED SUPPORTING BRACKET SECURED AT ONE END TO THE BOARD ADJACENT TO ONE END THEREOF AND EXTENDING ADJACENT AND SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO ONE SIDE OF THE BOARD IN SPACED RELATIONSHIP THERETO, A SOCKET AT THE OTHER END OF THE BRACKET MOUNTED FOR ROTATION ABOUT AN AXIS PARALLEL TO THE LENGTH OF THE BRACKET, IRON SUPPORTING LINKAGE SUPPORTED IN THE SOCKET FOR ROTATION ABOUT AN AXIS PERPENDICULAR TO THE BRACKET, THE LINKAGE AND SOCKET 